Thanksgiving has come and gone, and while many tech companies took the week as a refresher for themselves and their staff, a few made new announcements and shook up the tech scene. Read up on QualSights’ latest raise, or catch up on the newest incubator 1871 plans to launch. This is the Built In Chicago Weekly Refresh.
QualSights raised $7.7M. QualSights is an insights startup that helps brands, consulting firms and marketing agencies collect data about their customers’ shopping behaviors. The Series A round was led by 4490 Ventures and will be used to hire sales and marketing talent. The round was announced just one week after QualSights was named one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the U.S. by Deloitte. [Built In Chicago]
Chicago Tech Quote of the Week
1871 announced a new cannabis innovation lab. Chicago-based incubator 1871’s new innovation lab will help grow tech companies in the cannabis industry. The lab is now accepting applications and will launch on January 23. According to 1871, the program is open to all companies ranging from early-stage startups to late-stage businesses. [1871]
CASHDROP launched a fund for Latino-owned businesses. Latino-founded CASHDROP, an e-commerce and point-of-sales platform, launched a $1 million fund. The funds will be distributed to more than 1,000 Latino-owned businesses that use CASHDROP’s platform and process over $20,000 in monthly sales. Since launching, CASHDROP has raised $2.7 million in funding. [Built In Chicago]
